Combination lunch kit and folding table



I R. mmmm. 'COMBWATIGN LUNCH KIT AND FOLDING TABLE;

APPLICATIOH FiLED FEB. 23. 1911.

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RUDOLPH W. MILLER, OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ORANGE CONTRACT- ING & MILLING (30., F ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, A COPARTNERSHIP.

COMBINATION LUNCH KIT AND FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed February 23, 1917. Serial No. 150,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUnoLH l/V. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented a new and useful Combination Lunch Kit and Folding Table, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a compact lunch kit comprising a table that may be folded into the shape and size of a suit case and which is adapted to be detachably fastened to the running board of an automobile and is held in raised position above the running board by means of supporting legs rigidly attached to, and ex tending below the lunch kit, and which may be opened out at one side and both ends to form a table of comparatively large top area while in place on the running board or while stationed inside the automobile just back of the front of the seat convenient for occupants of the back seat, and which can be fully opened to a still greater top area when in the clear.

An object of this invention is to provide means for packing an' ample and varied lunch for several people in a compact and substantial package which may be easily carried andwhich may be secured to, and in raised position above, the running board of an automobile, so that during the travel of the automobile the air may circulate freely around the package and materially aid in maintaining therein a comparatively low temperature whereby the food contained in the packagemay be kept in a good and palatable condition for a consid erablelengt'h of time, said package conta ning within itself conveniences which when unpacked will furnish the dining table.

Theinvention comprises a folding lunch kit which will unfold to make a leg-supported dining table.

Features of advantage are completeness, compactness, simplicity, strength and convenience.

Another object is to provide a kit of the character described which can be packed so asto prevent rattling and which will hold the contents well up from the ground when i novelty may appear from the accompanylng drawings, the subjoined specification and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the nvention.

Figure 1 is a perspective showing the lunch kit unfolded in the clear and spread to produce a lunch table, the drawers being drawn out and table furniture and paraphernalia being omitted. I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 1 with the drawers in place.

Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the table folded into a lunch kit and secured to the running board of an automobile. The

The central table top piece 1 and the attaching bottom 2 are rigidly secured together and supported in horizontal parallel positions by the vertical legs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8. The four edges 9 of the center piece 1 are molded or jointed and hingedto the side table leaves 10 and 11 and to the end table leaves 12 and 13. The inner face of the leg 3 has a recess l'and the knuckle-jointed folding brace 15 connects the leg 3 and the leaf 12 and folds into this recess when the leaf is down. The leg 8 is connected to the leaf 13 in a similar manner by the knucklejointed folding brace 16. The table leaves 10 and 11 are supported when unfolded by the swinging braces 17 and 18, the brace 17 being exactly similar to the brace 18 and the brace 18 comprising the vertical post 19, the lower arm 20 and the upper arm 21. The bottom 2 has a notch 22 to receive the lower end of the post 19. The arms 20 and 21 are of the same length and are secured rigidly to the ends of the post 19 in parallel positions. The inner end of the arm 20 is swingingly connected to the upper face of the bottom 2 by a screw or pin 23 and the inner end of the arm 21islikewise swingingly connected to the under face of the top 1 by the screw or pin 24, so that said arms and post will swing between the bottom and top out of the way and allow the leaf 11 to swing downwardly against the legs 4, 6, 8, and in a like manner the leaf 10 is upheld by the brace 17 and swings clownwardly against the legs 3, 5, 7, when said brace is swung in, and hooks and eyes 25 hold the leaves 10 and 11 folded. The slats 26 and 27 are secured to the side faces of the posts 19 and arms 20 to form racks having spaces to receive plates, etc.

A partition 28 connects the legs 5 and 6 and the space between the legs 5, 6, 7, 8 15 for packing and storing thermos bottles, etc. The drawer frame guides 29 and 30 connect the legs 3, 5, and 4, 6 above the bottom 2, so that the drawer 31 may be inserted between the legs 3 and 4 under the leaf 12, when the leaf is elevated. The drawer 31 is a sheet metal box made to fit the place and the plates 32 and 33 serve as a cover for the box, said plates being independent and removable sheet metal plates dished within their mar ins to fit inside the drawer while the margins are supported by the upper edges of the walls of the drawer and adapted to be used in serving the lunch. In like manner the drawer frame guides 34 and 35 are mounted above the guides 29 and 30 and carry a drawer 36, and the guides 37 and 38 are mounted above the guides 34 and 35 and carry a drawer 39, said drawers 36 and 39 being substantially like the drawer 31 and covered by plates like 32 and 33. The plates 32 and 33 of the drawer 31 fit under the drawer frame guides 34 and 35, as shown in Fig. 5, thus holding the covers securely in place, and in a like manner the covers for the drawer 36 fit under the drawer frame guides 37 and 38. The drawers are preferably of various depths and are adapted to be packed with the lunch and then placed in the frame and the leaf 12 folded and fastened by a hook and eye 40. The leaves 10 and 11 may be folded and fastened and then the thermos bottle space may be packed and the leaf 13 folded and fastened by a hook and eye.

A handle 41 is embedded in the center of the center piece 1 for carrying the package thus produced.

The nuts 42 and 43 are recessed down into the bottom 2 and wing bolts 44 are inserted upwardly through the running board 45 of an automobile, and through the bottom 2 into the nuts 42 and 43 to hold the package in place for transportation. Bottom cross piece 46 between the legs 3, 4, and bottom cross piece 47 between the intermediate legs 5, 6, partially close the ends of a chamber 48 under the lower drawer to retain napkins and table cloth with knives and forks. Said chamber is fully closed at the sides and one end by the leaves 10, 11, 12 and at the other end by the partition 28. Cross pieces 49 and 50 under the table top 1 connect the posts or legs 3, 4 and 5, 6 and upper drawer guides 51 connect the cross pieces 49 and 50 to hold the covers 32 and 33 on the upper drawer 39, and to make the drawer go out and in straight. The posts, cross pieces, bottom and drawer guides form a rigid frame.

When it is desired tospread the lunch, the required inclosing leaves will be unhooked and leaves raised and the contents of the kit may be removed from the frame and one side leaf and both end leaves of the table spread without removing the kit from the running board; or the table may in like manner be spread in front of the rear seat of the automobile. The unfolding of the leaves produces a spacious table top. Where the table is opened out in the clear as shown more ample table top area is provided.

The center top piece is adapted to have an exposed top area corresponding to the top face of a suit case; and the side leaves are adapted to correspond in area to the exposed sides of a suit case while the end leaves correspond to the ends of a suit case so that the closed kit may be carried by the handle 41 the same as a suit case.

The details of materials, sizes and arrangements of parts, however, may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The hinges which hinge the leaves to the table top may be fastened to the cross pieces which in turn are fastened to the table top. The side leaves 10, 11 project beyond the ends of the table top a distance equal to the thickness of the end leaves 12, 13, so that when the kit is folded as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the side leaves entirely inclose the frame and the end leaves on both sides of the kit.

I claim 1. A combined kit and folding table comprising a central top; legs rigidlysecured at their upper ends to the top and at each side thereof; a bottom rigidly joining said legs near their lower ends; folding leaves plvotally attached to the side and end edges of the top and extending to said bottom when they are folded; legs pivotally secured to said top and said bottom and adapted to support the folding leaves at the sides when the leaves are unfolded and to be swung under said top and between said side leaves when the side leaves are folded; means pivotally secured to each end leaf and to one of the first-named legs for holding the end leaf in unfolded position; and means for securing all the leaves in folded position to said bot tom.

A combined kit and folding table comprising a central top; legs rigidly secured at their upper ends to the top and at each side thereof; a bottom rigidly joining said legs near their lower ends; folding leaves pivotally attached to the side and end edges of the top and extending to said bottom when they are folded; drawer guides secured to said legs; drawers on said guides; legs pivotally secured to said top and said bottom and adapted to support the folding leaves at the sides when said leaves are unfolded and to be swung under said top and between said side leaves when the side leaves are folded; means pivotally secured to each end leaf and to one of the first-named legs for holding the end leaf in unfolded position; and means for securing all the leaves in folded position to said bottom.

3. A combined kit and folding table comprising a central top; legs rigidly secured at their upper ends to the top and at each side thereof; a bottom rigidly joining said legs near their lower ends; folding leaves pivotally attached to the side and end edges of the top and extending to said bottom when they are folded; drawer guides secured to said legs; drawers on said guides; covers for said drawers, said covers adapted to be held securely in place by engagement with the guides above the covers; legs pivotally secured to said top and said bottom and adapted to support the folding leaves at the sides when said leaves are unfolded and to be swung under said top and between said side leaves when the side leaves are folded; means pivotally secured to each end leaf and to one of the first-named legs for holding the end leaf in unfolded position; and means for securing all the leaves in folded position to said bottom.

4. The combination with a rectangular top board, of a rectangular bottom board having notches at its opposite edges, legs at the corners of said boards rigidly connecting the boards together; legs pivoted 'to the top and bottom boards on opposite sides thereof, and adapted to fold into said notches and to be flush with the fixed legs when so folded; leaves hinged to the edges of the top board and adapted to fold upon the folded legs and to close upon the bottom board; leaves hinged to the ends of the top board and adapted to fold upon the legs and the bottom board and means foldable between the legs to support the end leaves.

5. The combination with quadrangular top and bottom boards of legs fixed to said boards at th angles thereof; leaves hinged to the top board at the sides and ends there of; means to support said leaves to form a table; said supporting means being foldable into the space between the top and bottom boards, and means to fasten the leaves in folded position to the bottom board.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Orange, California this 9th day of February, 1917.

Witness J AMES R. TOWNSEND. 

